As the war between Russia and Ukraine enters its second year, Australia is deploying troops to assist Ukrainians. Seventy men and women from the 1st Brigade in Darwin are set to fly to the United Kingdom where they will be spending several months to teach Ukrainians crucial warfighting skills. At a ceremony at Darwin's Robertson Barracks on Wednesday, the soldiers were farewelled by Australian Minister for Defence Personnel, Matt Keogh, Chief of Army Lieutenant General Simon Stuart, representatives of the Northern Territory Government, as well as family members. Acting NT Chief Minister Nicole Manison said the Northern Territory - and Australia as a whole - was "incredibly proud" of the men and women serving in the Australian Defence Force who will be training Ukrainian civilians to "defend their nation and their loved ones". "We stand staunchly in support of the people in the Ukraine," Ms Manison said, condemning the Russian invasion. "We are incredibly proud of the troops here in Darwin to see them go over to the UK to train everyday people that have been forced into war. "These are people who would have never thought in their adult life that they would have to bear arms and defend their country." IN OTHER NEWS One of the deploying soldiers said he was very excited about his upcoming time in the UK, after spending months preparing for the deployment. "Part of our training included familiarisation with weapons Ukrainian Armed Forced are using," the soldier, who cannot be named for security reasons, said. "I believe our training raised our capabilities and made us better soldiers for it." The soldier said he and his fellow ADF members had great sympathy for Ukrainians forced into fighting a war. "I feel like most Australians are sympathetic with what's happening in the Ukraine," he said. As one of the biggest supporters of Ukraine outside of NATO, Australia has been supporting the eastern European country for nearly a year, including the supply of Australian-produced Bushmaster protected mobility vehicles. Minister for Defence Personnel Matt Keogh said Australia's support for the invaded country would not waiver. "We are proud to support the brave people of Ukraine and their Armed Forces," he said, thanking the deploying soldiers for their commitment.